Can A Raccoon Change His Stripes?
by Shiftael
Summary: A 'what if' scenario involving Archie from the "Mask of the Raccoon' episode.  Had to choose Skipper for 2nd character even though he's barely in there.  Please, please, review, I want to turn Archie nice!   Deserves a spot in character list!


A/N

This is sort of a 'what if', and it could either take place in the middle of the 'Mask of the Racoon' episode, and instead of him being 'bad' in my version he'd stay good, or it could be an alternate take on the episode. Hope you like, I want to take it further, it could be with enough reviews.

Private giggled happily and hopped anxiously on his webbed feet.

Ever since their encounter with Archie the raccoon, he could not get the fellow out of his mind.

He knew he was in awe of him, the way he looked similar to him in size and stature, yet all those amaingly fast and agile moves he performed, he knew he could only dream of doing such moves.

And that accent... he shivered at the mere thought of that accent, that he'd also been replaying in his head ever since.

He was almost certain it was fake, but it sounded so sincre and convincing, at the same time.

He had to know if it was real, he had to know more things about this intriguing, almost intoxicationg raccoon.

He'd bored the rest of the team to tears verbally gushing about him through supper, and cleanup time.

So much so, that Kowalksi had found the politest way possible to excuse himself early.

Rico just quietly seethed about it, and Skipper, being the leader that he was, just tried to bear it as much as possible, as it wasn't the first time this had happened, even if more excessive then normal.

Over the next several days, he tried to keep more quiet about it, but whenever they went out during the day, his eyes constnatly scanned everywhere in the hopes of another glimpse.

They'd recently started a rotating night patrol, due to the increase of petty crimes through the other animals, and of course Private tried, but Skipper told him he was too young, and wasn't sharp enough yet.

He flumped heavily on th ebed, sulking. He was pretty sure it was the raccoon commiting the alleged 'crimes', and it finally dawned on him that raccoons were normally nocturnal, so he was almost positive he'd never be able to see him during the day, again.

He'd even developed a full-fledged plan if he were lucky enough to meet Archie alone this time, so this made him all the more frustrated that he couldn't do the night patrol.

Currently they were all gone, so he pulled out the anatomy book that he'd pilfered from the oo library.

He giggled at the thought of pilfering, but how he reasoned it technically wasn't stealing, because he intened on taking it back, as soon as he was finished with his drawing.

They were each given a couple hours a day of 'alone time' (for sanity's sake, more then anything", so he knew he had to work fast.

Pulling out the sketchpad that he'd also stashed away, he fliiped it open to hsi work in progress.

Of course it was a portrait of Archie, but he quickly flipped the book open to the raccoon section, as he was finally done with the main part of the drawing.

He'd rendered Archie in his Robin Hood gear, but he was laying seductively on a bed, and he was about to give it a special twist.

His heart beat faster as he began to add the generous length to the pose, which in his own mind would add that 'special touch'.

He made it a bit overly generous, but yet not too generous, and he finished it off by placing one of Archie's paws by his tummy, as if going to grab it, but leaving enough for the imagination to take over about what might happen next.

He felt his own privates stirring, as he held it away from him, up close, and at different angles, and he was finally certain it was ready.

He knew he couldn't do anything about his own... 'issues', as he glanced at the time, and saw that he only had about 10 minutes left, had time really went by that fast already?

He folded the drawing up neatly and tucked it in the book and tucked it back inside his pillow cushion, and just in time as he heard the others coming back.

Hopping quickly off the bed, he raced to Skipper and began his usual plea-bargaining.

"Skippah, can I pleaaasseeee do patrol tonight?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Please, even for an hour, or two, just as a test?"

Skipper didn't automatically say no this time like usual, as to him this sounded like a more mature type of reasoning for a change.

"Alright Private, you can have the midnight til 2AM shift for one night, but no screwups!"

Private almost kissed Skipper in the same manner Archie had but somehow managed to refrain, instead just the breifest of hugs.

"Oh thank you, Skippah, I won't let you down, I promise!"

"You'd better take a nap then, so you can be rested for tonight, and remember, no screwups!"

Private giggled and nodded, and quickly hopped back in his bunk.

He was hardly certain if he could sleep though, 12-2, he was pretty sure that was more then enough time to hope to bump into his new hero.

But eventually he did doze off, and he awoke again with just about 10 minutes to spare.

Glancing around, he sure was thankful that the others were asleep, he knew that meant it was real.

He snuck the book out as quietly as possible, and debated pulling the paper out, too, but decided against it, thinking it would make too much noise.

He didn't want to be carrying either around with him all night anyway, so he knew he'd have to hide it, so he decided to take the book as well.

Waddling carefully out of the den, he walked for a time till he came to a patch of bushes.

Bending over, he leaned down to tuck the book safely in there, though when he turned around, before he'd even started waddling away again he bumped into something, no, somebody.

Excpecting it to be Skipper checking up on him he glanced at the usual area, but he almost squealed aloud with glee as instead of feathers, he saw the grey fur with black streaks.

Sensing the squeal, Archie reached up to clamp his gloved paw over the overly excitable penguins beak.

"M'sieur, what are you doing? I have heard of sneaking around to take things, but never to hide."

Skipper started mumbling, but Archie retracted his paw, having forgotten already.

"Oh ahhhh, hi, it's kind of for you, anyway!"

He found himself suddenly more then a little nervous, downright awkward over the whole thing.

He was even contemplating on chickening out, suddenly the preposterousness of the idea seemed like it could be a bit silly, but the raccoon took it in stride.

"A present, for moi? I hope you would let me see it. Being my first present it would be a shame if you would not share it with me!"

Private gushed inwardly again, oohhh that accented effected him so much, it made him feel tingly and warm all over at the same time.

He quickly reached back into the bushes before he could change his mind again, though he tried to hide the cover of the book at the same time while pulling it out, and trying to extract the drawing at the same time.

Archie, sensing the young one's distress, tried to comfort and again take it all in stride.

"M'sieur, perhaps I should make you an honorary raccoon, you are being so secretive about the cover of the book, it looks like alibrary book, no?'

"No, errrr I mean yes.. if I showed you the cover, it will ruin the surprise." And in the back of his head, he thought possibly turn him away altogether.

With trembling wings, the book fell to the ground, and Archie carefully extracted the paper, knowing full well that he could have easily abducted the book, as well but decided to let it lay, for now, he was pretty sure something was up.

Carefully unfolding the paper, it was easy to tell it was a sketch right away, and he had to do his best to hide a gasp of his own, as he wasn't very sure what to think at the sight.

He stood there and quietly marvelled at the young penguin's talent, and when his eyes eroed in on the groin area, it warmed his heart that someone that barely even knew him would go through so much trouble just for him.

"Zis, is for me? Or is zis an elabroate ruse to ask for my autograph?"

Slipper giggled nervously, "It's... kind of a present, for you."

"That book, it is from the library though, no?"

Slipper could only nod, he couldn't tell if Archie liked it or not, but at least he hadn't hit him or ran away screaming, or anything."

"I will take you on a mssion, then, we must take that book back, together, before it is missed!"

Private blushed even more then he was already, as he also finally surrendered the book to the raccoon, who let out an undescernibale type of grin at finally being able to see what it was.

"Ahhhhh, so zis is how you knew how to draw me so well.. And, quite flattering, I might add."

Archie scooped the penguin under his arm, and they dashed towards the library, together.

"I've only got a couple hours out, tonight." Private murmered.

"What time did you start, m'siuer?"

"12" came the meek reply.

They both glanced up at the large public clock that was impossible for anyone to miss, and it was only 12:30.

"We still have plenty of time!"

He dashed around with the bulky penguin in his arm, quicly glancing up, and down, and finally spotted a window that was barely open, but he knew for himself that would be good enough.

Handing the book and the drawing to Skipper, he scrambled up to the window, and managed to worm and squeeze his way in.

Grunting heavily, he pushed with all his might to manage to move the window open a few more generous inches, enough to squeee them both back in.

Hopping back to the ground, he grabbed the penguin again, and using his gun, he shot the rubber dart inside, and flung each other both inside.

Private wasw already thinking ahead, as he pointed a good distance away, and of course a shelf up very high.

Aiming the dart gun again for the highest shelf, he nailed it, and flung themselves to the top of the anatomy section.

Of course it was kept up so high for moral reasons, and extracing the drawing again but Private put the book back perfectly in it's place.

But, just as he did that, both their heads shot to the door as they began to hear keys rattling.

Keys rattling, at this hour? Archie, being the more mature of the two reasoned the noises must have warranted a call to the zoo security.

"Quick, make like a bookend!"

They scrambled to opposite sides of the section, lucky for them it wasn't crowded, and tried to stay as still as possible.

The keys made far more noise then they did, as they rattled, clanked and finally opened.

The sounds of drunken giggling flooded the quiet room as a male and female teenage couple came in.

"I can't beleive they wanted us to come down at this hour and inspect." the male of the two muttered, then giggled, obviously a bit drunk.

"it's probably just the wind, or birds, or something, oh look.."

Archie dared the quickest of peaks as he noticed that luckily, the attention wasn't directed at them, but perhaps jsut as unfrotunate, somehow the drunken pair had noticed the open window.

"We'd better close that, I bet a bird flew in here or something."

The flashlight swept dangerously everywhere as they both gasped in horror at the exact same time the window closed with a thud.

They moved in even closer, still as the flashlight swept towards the celing at first, then over various shelves, somehow always just barely missing theirs.

This was too much for Archie, as he almost let out a giggle, himself as he thought of the most natural deterrent of all.

Just as the light was almsot ready to hit their area, it clattered to the ground as the male covered his face, "Oh man, who let one rip, eww gross."

And before he was finished talking, the flashlight of course broke upon impact, snuffing the light out."

The female finally chimed in, "h great, look what you did now, I guess we'll have to go back."

The male was trying to fan the air as he scooped it up, "Let's get out of here, it stinks in here, anyway, a skunk must have gotten in here and died, or something."

They scrambled out of there, and the animal pair both seemed to breathe a sigh of releif, and scrambled from their hiding places at the same time.

Unfortuantely for them, the pair wasn't drunk enough to forget to lock the doors, as they heard the keys rattling once again and the sickening sound of the lock clickking back into place.

They both seemed to look around at the same time, instincts wondring if there was a chimney, but no such luck.

Private whimpered, "It looks like we might be stuck here all night, it's all my fault!"

Archie strode qukicky towards him, he was already developing a soft spot for the young male, as he'd quickly observed he was the most vulnerable of the team from their past encounter, but now finding out pssoibly the most caring, as well."

"M'sieur, it's not your fault, but it does seem as if we might have to stay here all night."

Private didn't mind that one bit, he could harldy think of anything better then to be alone with his new hero, and possibly finally getting to know him better, but then his heart sank quickly again upon remembering.

"I was supposed to be back at 2, Ihad to beg for the two hours they gave me."

"Let me guess, they said you were too young?"

Private nodded, his eyes misting up ever so slightly, and the raccoon quickly pulled him close.

"Leave that part to me, m'sieur, I am good at making up tall tales."

Private immediately liked the feeling of both the added warmth, and fur, finding the fur to be one of the most blissfully exotic things he'd ever felt before. He decided to do a little fibbing of his own, as he emitted a shiver.

"M'sieur you are cold? We may just have to stay close the whole night.

Private yawned, this wasn't fake at all, all the running around and plotting and planning had made him sleepy. They both peered outside the window, again at the huge clock even though being inside, there was one that was right in front of them.

"It is 2 now, if one of us is awake right before it opens, we can sneak back out before it gets crowded.

Private was already drifting off and barely nodded in reply, as he burrowed closer to his new friend.

He was pretty sure he was going to hear it, or worse, from Skipper in the morning, but for now he trusted his new friend, and the beat of his heart mingled with the added warmth, as he easn't really cold at all, and despite the exhilerating newness of the feelings, still managed to fall asleep.

A/N well, if you like it please review..

If it gets any positive feedback at all I could easily take this an even more mature route. xD


End file.
